Album Review: Jabba – Vice (Loyal Blood Records)

Commonly known as ‘the only rock band in Tromsø’, Jabba originally hails from the rural town of Sørreisa. After 10 years they are finally ready to release their debut album Vice, out on July 19th 2017 via Loyal Blood Records.

The very first thing that you’ll notice with Jabba & opening song, Final Form is just how bassy it is. Massive distortion that draws from both the rock & metal sides of music, you can hear inspirations ranging from Motorhead to Primus to The Melvins here.

The double header of Smoke & Drink have a much harder & faster vibe, giving off a punky edge to proceedings. Bouncy & energetic, they are exciting tracks & thankfully, the bass distortion begins to settle.

With 8 tracks but only being 21 minutes long, Jabba make their statements in short & sharp moments. Tracks like Moon, Mathlete & Prof are absolute bangers with so much rhythm & groove jammed in. The rolling drum beat of the latter in particular is ‘stand up & applaud’ stuff.

The riotous sound continues into the catchiest & standout song on the album, Rat. A super pacey number with a chorus that absolutely slays before this excellent album closes with Drugs. It doesn’t quite hit the mark in comparison to the previous song but its energy is still evident & the sludgy vibe it gives off in its final moments sounds great.